“We thank General Bartolome for his statesmanship. As you all know, his term officially ends in March of next year. But knowing that March will be in the middle of the election period, he has voluntarily agreed to step down earlier so that this transition can happen with a full five or almost six months between the incoming PNP taking on the job and the coming elections,” ayon kay Roxas.

“May penalty ito personally sa kanyang (Bartolome’s) retirement kaya nagpapasalamat tayo sa kanyang pagiging bayani in this respect as well as his decades worth of service to our people and to the PNP,” dagdag pa ni Roxas.